


Midsummer Through the Years

by Burgie



Category: Star Stable Online
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-15
Updated: 2018-07-15
Packaged: 2019-06-11 03:54:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15306930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burgie/pseuds/Burgie
Summary: Through the years, Louisa has always enjoyed taking part in the Midsummer night's dream.





	Midsummer Through the Years

2015

Louisa carefully counted the wildflowers that she'd plucked from the fields around Silverglade. Or was this only the fields around Silverglade Village? She wasn't sure, she hadn't been here long enough, after all, only a few short months. Heck, she still got lost in the Valley of the Hidden Dinosaur, which was not the most comfortable place to get lost, what with the freezing temperatures there. And she'd thought that winter back home was cold, boy was she wrong.

"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven," Louisa counted, sifting the flowers through her fingers. She smiled. "Yep, we've got 'em all, Smokeeye. Let's go back to Steve." She still felt a little strange, speaking to her horse, but everyone else here did it. Both young and old. Nobody looked at them strangely, so Louisa just talked to her horses as though they could talk back. The same way she'd talked to her cats and dog back home, come to think of it. It was just considered normal here.

Her wonderful mare, the most beautiful horse that Louisa had ever seen, easily cantered back over to Steve's farm, where the farmer waited, as ever, with his pitchfork in hand. Louisa still wasn't too sure if the people of Jorvik actually did anything, but that was okay. That just meant more adventures for her, and her trusty steeds.

"Hi, Steve," said Louisa, producing the flowers after dismounting. It was a little difficult to get to Steve through the crowd of other girls, all holding their Midsummer bouquets, and Louisa thought for a moment that it was almost as though they were all crowding around attempting to woo Steve. She laughed at the thought.

"Wonderful!" said Steve after counting the flowers for himself. "Now, tonight, when you go to sleep, put these flowers under your pillow or wherever you lay your head and you'll see the love of your life." He winked. Louisa grinned, absolutely delighted by that idea.

"That sounds amazing," said Louisa, carefully tucking the flowers inside her saddlebag. "I'll definitely do that. Have a nice day, Steve, hopefully the crowds don't crush you." Steve chuckled.

"This happens every year, I'm used to it by now," said Steve. "And you have a lovely day too, Louisa." Louisa smiled and rode off, seeking out either a friend or someone who needed help or just an adventure.

Later that night, after a long day spent enjoying the Midsummer festival and dancing the little frog dance around the pole, Louisa was definitely tired as she returned to the Moorland inn. She yawned as she put Smokeeye away for the night and said goodnight to her five horses.

"Wow, you look tired," said Maya, peeking in through the stable door. Not because she didn't trust Louisa, but because Louisa was always very good for a story or two.

"I am," said Louisa, stifling another yawn. "Sorry, Maya, no story tonight."

"That's alright," said Maya, smiling. "Everyone's tired after setting up the Midsummer festival. Or maybe they're just eager to sleep." Her grin made Louisa blush.

"I just really like the idea of it," said Louisa. "Dreaming about your true love." Maya laughed, shaking her head.

"Well, I'm still waiting to dream about Alex," said Maya. "But alas, how can she be my true love when her fair maiden is still missing?" Louisa smiled.

"You'll find your true love someday," said Louisa. "We both will. I'm sure of it."

"It's good to be optimistic," said Maya. "We have that in common." She looked around the stable. "Everything seems to be in order here, all horses seem happy, if a bit sleepy."

"I'm actually thinking of adding to the herd soon," said Louisa. "Have you seen the Paint horses at Marley's? They're gorgeous!"

"Well, I don't really get much of a chance to leave, what with how much work there is to do, especially after Justin left, but I've heard about them and seen some new Paints around. They are really pretty," said Maya. "Are you going to get one?"

"I think so, actually," said Louisa, nodding. "Ha, if I'm not careful, I'm going to turn into a horse hoarder."

"There are worse things to be," said Maya. "And maybe, if you ever get too many one day, you could hire me to help you look after them."

"That's a great idea," said Louisa. "If I ever have too many horses to care for on my own, I know just who to call."

The horses all bedded down for the night, Louisa walked across to the Moorland inn and, after sharing a delicious hot meal (a stew prepared by Jenna herself) with Maya, she made her way to the room that she was renting at the inn. Once inside with the door locked, Louisa withdrew the seven special flowers from her jacket pocket. They didn't look especially special, they certainly didn't appear to have magical properties like a certain shine or sparkles or glow, in fact, they just looked like ordinary flowers. But, as the druids were currently teaching her, things in Jorvik were rarely what they seemed to be. And so Louisa still felt excited as she tucked the flowers under her pillow, changed into her pyjamas, and climbed into bed.

The dream, when it came, wasn't anything like what Louisa had expected. There was a forest. Mist wreathed around the trees in the darkness of the nights on Jorvik. She could hear the faint sounds of birds, the hoots of the night creatures. And, coming closer, the sound of hooves coming over the grassy forest floor. Even in the dream, Louisa was surprised when a white, riderless horse came into view. The mane and tail on it were blue, as were the eyes, not unlike a horse that she'd seen before.

Waking up the next morning, Louisa felt confused. Why had she dreamed about the white horse in Greendale? First of all, she was pretty sure that her true love would be a woman. Or maybe it meant that she was destined to ride that horse. Still confused, Louisa sat down to the breakfast buffet with the other young riders, Maya already chattering away about the day's chores. Louisa offered to help her out, wanting to talk to her first friend in Jorvik about her dream.

"Penny for your thoughts?" said Maya as the two of them swept the stable.

"I had a strange dream last night," said Louisa.

"Ooh, so the flowers worked?" asked Maya, beaming as she leaned against the broom. It moved forward a little and she stumbled, but regained her footing quickly.

"Yeah," said Louisa, nodding. "Only, I didn't dream of a person. I dreamed of a horse. A white horse with a blue mane and tail, you know, that one who's been wandering around Greendale since I've been here."

"Oh!" said Maya, her eyes widening. "I know that horse!"

"You do?" asked Louisa, her heart pattering in her chest.

"Mm-hm!" Maya confirmed, nodding enthusiastically. "He's with the Soul Riders, I think. Alex talks about it sometimes but she doesn't like to talk about her missing friends much. Too sad."

"Soul Riders?" Louisa repeated. "But what does that mean? We haven't found two of them yet, is one of them my true love?"

"She could be," said Maya, her eyes brimming with excitement. She squealed. "This is so exciting! We're both connected to the Soul Riders! Well, you are. I'm just besties with one."

"Hey, besties still counts," said Louisa, nudging her. "Man, I wish I knew more about these missing girls."

"I'm sure you'll find out someday. And you'll find them someday, too," said Maya. "I can feel it." Louisa shared a smile with her and returned to work, knowing that there was a lot of work ahead of them.

2016

Louisa felt nervous as she returned to Steve with the Midsummer flowers clutched tightly in her hand. So nervous, in fact, that she'd needed to count them and recount them several times. She heard a faint whisper in her mind, Goldmist assuring her that it would be okay. She'd been riding him a lot lately, having heard rumours from some other druids that he was her Soul Steed, a special horse that she was bonded to in ways that no human could ever understand. Since she'd been riding him, that bond had only grown, though his voice was still quiet.

"Sweet dreams," said Steve, smiling as he waved her off. Louisa hoped that her dreams would be sweet, that she'd dream of the girl who had turned out to be Starshine's rider. This time, she didn't go to Moorland, instead returning home to Cape West Fishing Village where her father lived. He was already in bed when she got home, so Louisa had a quiet dinner and tea to calm her nerves before climbing into bed to read until she fell asleep. She tucked the flowers under her pillow, just to be sure that she wouldn't fall asleep without them there.

It wasn't Greendale that Louisa dreamed of this time. But she knew these fields as well as she knew Greendale. Green, rolling fields, mostly bare under the starlit sky. The lighting was eerie, though, almost too dark. And in front of her, there was a large, ancient tree, the branches bare. They hadn't been bare the last time she'd seen them, though. She heard a sharp intake of breath, heard the snap, the horse shriek with pain, herself landing hard on her shoulder as her frightened steed threw her. Heard the whispered apology. Smelled the blood.

And then, light. Pink light. A girl, her hair as red as blood, sitting astride a moon-white horse with a pink light glowing in her hand. Louisa watched, amazed now instead of the sheer terror that she'd felt before, as the girl hurled the pink light at the figures hiding in the bushes and laughing like hyenas. Felt the awe as the figures ran. And then, the girl turned to look at her. And she knew.

Louisa didn't tell Lisa that she'd dreamed about her at Midsummer. She was too nervous. What if Lisa thought that it was weird, thought that Louisa was only saying that so that she'd date her, wanted to deny her destiny, felt pressured to love her and it all fell to pieces? So Louisa said nothing, only felt joy in her heart that the Midsummer dream agreed with the feeling in her heart.

2017

"You should do the Midsummer dream." Lisa looked at her girlfriend, slightly confused at the sudden request. The two of them sat on a picnic blanket on the beach at Goldenhill's Stable Island, their hands touching. Their horses grazed a little ways away, Smokeeye very much enjoying Starshine's company. Louisa blushed, shifting slightly and looking down at their hands. "I mean... it'd be cute, don't you think?"

"We don't need a Midsummer dream to tell us that we're meant to be," said Lisa. "I can feel it, you can feel it. We'd only be confirming what we already know."

"I know," said Louisa, tucking her hair behind her ear. "I just... want you to do it. I'll do it too."

"Babe, we don't need anything to prove our relationship," said Lisa. Louisa chewed on her lip.

"I dreamed of you," said Louisa at last. "Last year. And the year before, before you were... back with us, I dreamed of Starshine." Her heart pounded, but Lisa smiled.

"Really?" asked Lisa. Louisa nodded, grinning in relief that Lisa hadn't freaked out. Lisa hugged her, the touch sending warmth through Louisa's veins like it always did. "Then I'll give it a go too."

"I will too," said Louisa. "We'll both do it, if we can keep our heads on our own pillows."

"I'll do my best," said Lisa, giving her a wink.

They both received their wishes for sweet dreams from Steve, and then retired to the house in Cape West Fishing Village for the night. Seven flowers went under Lisa's pillow, and seven flowers went under Louisa's pillow.

Not Greendale, not the Forgotten Fields. It was a dreamscape, glowing with stars like fireflies. Louisa found that she was on a horse, her Goldmist, who sported the spectral wings that he'd gained in Justin's rescue from Dark Core. One moment, there was nothing in front of her. And then, there was Lisa, sitting atop Starshine. Lisa smiled at her.

"Not to sound like a complete sap, but I knew you were the girl of my dreams," said Lisa. Louisa laughed and, dismounting, met Lisa in the middle of their horses and hugged her.

Louisa wasn't surprised at all to wake up the next morning and find herself in Lisa's embrace. They'd spent much of their dreams hugging, after all. But she still waited for Lisa to wake up.

"I dreamed about you," Lisa murmured, her voice muzzy from sleep.

"I dreamed about you too," said Louisa, running her fingers over Lisa's hair. "I'm the girl of your dreams, huh?"

"What Moon magic witchery was that?" said Lisa, laughing.

"Maybe it was me," said Louisa. "Or maybe it was just the power of the Midsummer dream."

"Midsummer magic, huh?" said Lisa. "I like that. Sounds real... magical." Louisa laughed, giving her girlfriend an Eskimo kiss. By Aideen, she loved this woman. She didn't know what she'd do without her.


End file.
